


Busy

by Fly_high_butterfly



Series: Fandom One-Shots [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alone, Angst, Busy, Healing, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Outer Space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fly_high_butterfly/pseuds/Fly_high_butterfly
Summary: I've seen a lot of prompts and fan art about something like this so I thought I'd write one. I know it's not the best but I wanted to do it.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Fandom One-Shots [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798084
Kudos: 11





	Busy

The communicator rang once again causing Lance to sigh dejectedly. It's been a month since he last talked to Keith and he's missed him a lot. Lance thought this long distance relationship would be better, but the whole thing completely backfired. Keith is always busy, everyone else is busy as well, and Lance is just there taking up space that could be filled with someone better fit to handle it.

Lance sighs loudly trying to call one last time before ultimately he is going to quit for the night. It rings and rings and rings. Lance is about to cancel the call when with the last ring he picks up.

Lance gasps happily, his smile brightens, and he grins at the phone as he places it to his ear. "WHAT!?!" Keith's aggressive voice yells into the communicator and Lance has to pull it away a little as to not hurt his ears.

"Um, hey Babe," Lance says softly hoping he wasn't interrupting anything.

"Lance?" Keith asks pulling the communicator back and looking to see that it is in fact his boyfriend that he is talking to. "Hey Lance! It's been a while."

"Yeah, a month to be exact," Lance chuckles though there isn't much humor in it other than how he's trying to sound happy. "How have you been?"

"Busy," Keith says shortly not paying much to his boyfriend. "There's a lot going on here."

"Here as well, yeah Pidge and Hunk are fixing up a cargo ship that was destroyed in our last battle. It was pretty bad I-" Lance is explaining happy that his boyfriend is actually there on the other end and he isn't just talking to himself, like always.

"I'm sorry now isn't the best time, we are busy beyond belief. Sorry I've got to go, love ya," Keith says shortly and hangs up leaving Lance staring at the wall of his room, phone still held to his ear unmoving.

That's when the tears started, and didn't stop. Lance carefully laid down on his bed wary of his injuries as he never could bring himself to ask for any help. Keith's always so busy anyways, Lance doesn't want to put more on his plate than he already has.

"I really am all alone," Lance whispers to the air, tears streaming down his cheeks as he stares up at the ceiling. "Shiro has leader things, Allura has princess things, the others are just too jam packed with other things, and Keith has no time for me. I know he's out fighting battle but he can't even talk to me. Why did I think this would work?"

After that Lance didn't try to call Keith again, well he does but he only leaves voicemails because that's all he gets...his voicemail. He slowly became even more distanced from the others while all he ever did was lay in his bed in utter pain. Blood leaking from every wound, scars cover his body but he didn't even seem to care. Everyday is a continuous cycle for him that he hasn't broken since that call with Keith. Sleep, eat, fight, call Keith, cry, eat, cry, sleep, repeat.

It was three months later Keith got a call as he was about to head out on another mission. He was just going to shut it off but he saw that it was Pidge, she never called him. "Yeah?" Keith says as he grabs his sword and heads out of his room.

"Keith!" Pidge and seemingly Hunk yells into the phone behind her.

"What's up guys? I don't got much time, I'm about to head out. Is it quick?" Keith asks as he boards the shuttle with the other troops as they prepare the shuttle for flight.

"Um, not really. Well actually it's La-" Pidge is saying but then one of the commanders gestures for him to shut it off so he quickly cuts her off.

"Sorry, I have to go I'll call you back later," Keith says hanging up and buckling in as the shuttle lifts into the air.

He doesn't call her back until three days later when he finally gets a day off from the nonstop missions. But when that pick up it isn't who he thought it would be. "Keith," Shiro says over the phone confusing Keith immensely.

"Why do you have Pidge's communicator?" Keith asks as his ears pay closer attention to Shiro's background to hear Pidge crying. Pidge never cries. "What's wrong?"

"If you would havE LISTENED BEFORE YOU WOULD KNOW!" Pidge pretty much yells through the phone hurting Keith's ears. 

Shiro takes a deep breath trying to calm her down along with himself and not be as aggressive. "It's Lance."

Keith is confused not sure what that means, is it so bad that Pidge is crying over it. "What did he do this time?" Keith sighs rolling his eyes at his boyfriend. As Shiro explains the situation Keith freezes staring straight in front of him in utter shock. He hangs up quickly shoving the communicator in his pocket and rushes out of his room and straight to a ship. He hops in and flies to the coordinates that Coran sends him.

He can barely breath as he tries not to hyperventilate while flying. How could this have happened? Lance was always so... Lance. The happy, lovable goofball who always made everyone laugh. Keith didn't want to believe it, he had to see it with his own eyes.

When Keith got there he rushed straight to the medic bay to see everyone there. Pidge in Hunk's arms as he tries to comfort her, Allura standing next to Shiro as they both look sorrowful, and Coran who just stares at the cryotube that Lance is in.

"What happened?" Keith chokes out as he stares at his beaten and bruised boyfriend as he sleeps.

"Well, we've all been extremely busy lately and Lance has been distancing himself since he spends most of his time in his room. After missions he just disappears and reappears at dinner but four days ago was the worst fight we have been in in a while. We were surrounded and they shot at Pidge but he shielded her. We didn't think much of it because he's been through worse and we could easily get him to a cryotube. But when he didn't get up we knew something was wrong," Shiro is explaining when he sighs closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"We found something," Allura adds softly looking at me with sadness in her eyes.

"SoMETHING!?! WE DID'T JUST FIND SOMETHING! WE FOUND EVERYTHING! HIS BODY WAS COVERED IN BRUISES AND SCARS!" Pidge screams, though she isn't sure if she's mad at Lance for not telling them or mad at herself for not noticing. She began to breakdown again and her voice softened. "He didn't have enough strength to get up from this battle because he had already been beaten down by all the rest of them."

"Why? How did this happen?" Keith asks turning to look at Shiro, Allura, and Coran.

"He never came to me for his injuries, I don't even think he treated them. He must of been in so much pain," Coran says absentmindedly as he still stares at Lance.

"He just kind of... gave up," Shiro further estimates what Coran had said glancing at Keith. "He always fought hard but when we got back he kind of fell in on himself. He wasn't the Lance we all know."

"I don't think he ever has been that Lance," Hunk says drawing everyone's attention. "At the garrison he would take these pills twice maybe three times a day. I didn't pay much attention to it cause he was always so happy and nothing seemed to be wrong. But then I found out it was medication for depression, he brushed it off as if everything was okay. I believed him but after that I paid more attention."

"Lance was depressed?" Keith whispers to himself wondering how terrible of a boyfriend he was while the others just ignored him as Hunk continued.

"He was always doubting himself no matter what he did. You, Keith, was a big part of why he doubted himself," Hunk says pointing at him as he stares in shock.

"Me? Why?" Keith asks not understanding.

"You got everything so easily, you were the top of the class, and every professor compared him to you. That's how the whole rivalry started, I think he just wanted something to convince himself that maybe one day he could win, that he could beat you at something. But then when he was alone, I really saw the true Lance," Hunk sighs placing his head in his hands at the memory. "I was heading to his room to tell him something and when I opened his door I heard sobbing. I didn't announce I was there and walked in. What I saw, is something I wish I could unsee."

"What was it?" Shiro asks looking at Hunk worried that it was what he thought.

"No, he wasn't self harming as you may think but he just looked so terrible and worn out and I wish to never see him like that. His eyes were swollen from crying, his skin was pale, he had large bags under his eyes, and he looked so broken. I tried to help him but you know how stubborn Lance is, so after sometime of not seeing that Lance I kind of just forgot," Hunk says running his fingers through his hair as he sighs dejectedly staring at the floor.

"Is he going to be okay?" Keith whispers looking at Coran who sighs looking back at him.

"The results are unsure, he is not simply sleeping because of the cryotube but yet he is in a coma. How long that lasts is up to him," Coran says turning back to Lance.

"He called you everyday," Pidge says standing up trying to control herself and breath.

"What?" Keith responds quietly.

"He called you EVERYDAY but you never responded, look at your messages," Pidge says glaring at him as she points at his communicator. Keith only nods not believing it as he gets it out and sees three months worth of voice mails. That's when the tears start to flow.

"How? What?" Keith croaks trying to control his tears but isn't able to as he stares at all of them.

"He missed you, so much. Every time we said your name you could just see him deflate. Why did you never call?" Allura asks staring at this broken, crying boy as he cry's about his own broken boy.

"We were just so busy, and I never even thought about it," Keith says in disbelief that he had never even thought to call his own boyfriend once in a while. "I never even thought about it. WHAT KIND OF BOYFRIEND AM I? HE NEEDED ME AND I WASN'T THERE FOR HIM! I ONLY THOUGHT OF MYSELF!"

"Calm down Keith, you can talk to him about it when he gets out," Shiro says placing his hand on Keith's shoulder to calm him down. He only shrugged it off and went to sit next to the tube to wait for Lance to wake up. Please wake up.

———

It's been about two weeks since Lance has been put in the cryotube and Keith hasn't left his side. The Blade Of Marmora has tried to get him to do missions but just the thought of leaving Lance again made him sick. He wants to be here when Lance comes out and if that happens while he's away he'd never forgive himself because it would be like he's too busy for Lance all over again.

Everyone was worried about Keith as he refused to move other than to use the restroom but even that only lasted for a few seconds. He tended to refuse any food given to him but when ever Hunk breaks down crying and saying that if he continues like that he wouldn't make it to see Lance, Keith usual forces himself to eat some of the food.

Then finally, at the end of the third week of Lance being in the cryotube it opens. Lance stumbles forward and Keith is there to catch him but he doesn't have enough strength to hold him while on his feet so they both fall to the ground.

"Hi," Keith whispers looking down at Lance who still looks a little drowsy from his three week nap.

"Hi?" Lance says confused as he looks around at the medic bay not sure what he's doing there. "What happened?" 

Keith is shocked and floundering for something to say, he doesn't remember? "You really don't remember?" Keith asks just to verify that he had forgotten.

"No, dude, also why are we on the ground and why are you holding me? Can you let go?" Lance asks sounding a bit awkward not sure what to go as Keith is still clutching him tightly. Keith's eyes fill with tears as he reluctantly releases Lance and watches as he stands up leaving Keith sitting on the ground watching him desperately.

Keith stumbles to his feet and hurried to the wall pushing a button to alert everyone to come to the medic bay quickly. Almost instantly everyone comes running in happy to see Lance awake and moving around but when they look at Keith they becomes very very worried. "He doesn't remember me," Keith croaks before silently crying into his hands as Hunk pulls him into a hug.

"Hey Lance, who is this?" Shiro says pointing at Keith who is trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Uh, Keith. Are you guys okay?" Lance responds looking at them all trying to understand the situation he's currently in as it is not making any sense to him. "Why is he crying? Will someone please explain to me what's going on?"

"Coran!" Shiro says looking over at him as he inspects the information he had gotten while Lance was in the cryotube.

"Oh my," Coran says looking over at the others, especially Keith, worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Lance asks walking to stand next to Coran but not understanding anything he's reading.

"I'm afraid that while number three was in the healing pod his mind, in trying to heal, decided it was best to erase the memories that had lead to this event. That is the reason he has forgotten number four," Coran explains and suddenly Keith feels like he can't breath. For Lance's brain to see him as the problem just proves how terrible he was. Maybe it's for the best, now that Lance has moved on in his own way maybe it's time he tried to as well.

"What are you talking about? I remember Keith, you know rivals Keith and Lance neck-and-neck," Lance says as if trying to jog all their memories on the matter. Keith just releases a desperate watery laugh as he leaves the medic bay. Nobody looks at him knowing he wants his privacy as he grieves the memories that have been lost.

Lance still isn't sure what happens as everyone comes up and starts giving him a bunch of hugs but he knows he's forgotten something important. Though if it's bad enough to make his mind want to forget he isn't sure he wants to remember.

Later that day Lance decided to take a shower to rinse the imaginary feeling of the cryotube off him. When he steps out and looks in the mirror he sees all the new and unremembered scars covering his body. He stumbles back against a wall as blurry images of battles flash through his mind. Eventually he pulls out of them breathing heavily against his sink. Maybe it's for the best that he doesn't remember if they're all going to hurt like that.

Lance eventually heads down to dinner to see everyone but Hunk and Keith there. They all smile at him, some are larger than others. "Hey guys," Lance greets to which he receives a response from everyone.

Hunk suddenly walks in frowning before giving Lance a small smile. "He won't leave his room, I can't reach him anymore," Hunk states worriedly as he sits at the table not even touching his food.

"Come on guys it's just Keith being his usual emo self, he'll come around," Lance reasons trying to cheer them all up though only a few of them even pretend to be happy and Lance doesn't like that. Why does that emo freak always have to bring everyone down?

After dinner Lance storms right up to Keith's door and knocks aggressively but there isn't a response. "Keith,"he hears Keith's breath catch on the other side meaning that he is listening to him. "You have to come out, you're making everyone worried and that's not cool buddy. You can't just keep bringing everyone down with your emo self, you need to come out."

Lance hears some sobs on the other side of the door before a weak voice responds, "Just go away Lance." Lance doesn't know how to respond, he's never actually heard Keith cry before. Sure he had been crying in the medic bay earlier but Lance thought it was nothing.

"Come on, budd-" Lance starts to say trying to coax him out but he's cut off by Keith's voice getting louder.

"GO AWAY LANCE!"

So, Lance stops trying and walks away. "I'm sure he'll be fine," Lance thinks to himself as he goes back to joking with the others. "eventually."

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm going to leave it off there. There you have it folks, did you enjoy the ride. *Train whistle blows twice* Yeah, so sorry for all the angst but it's just how it goes. But yeah......
> 
> At one point I had wanted to do more and make it happy at the end but I didn’t really feel a lot of inspiration for it, so it ends like this. Sorry.


End file.
